Ipswich news: Opinion – Graeme McLoughlin on making 2025 successful

Ipswich Town ended 2024 on a massively deserved high, and if they are still in the Premier League this time next year, then 2025 will have been a huge success.

Things have been far from easy for Kieran McKenna and his players since they secured successive promotions in May, and staying up would be by far and away the manager’s greatest achievement in football to date.

In spite of Town’s lowly position in the table at present, get ready for yet more speculation regarding the Northern Irishman’s future in the coming months. He remains a class act and elite coach, so should he still be in charge at Portman Road come next Christmas, it is likely there will be a high level of optimism among supporters, regardless of what division the team is playing in.

How do Town beat the drop then?

Well, a fully fit squad (or something close to it) would help. A lack of that since the campaign got underway has meant McKenna’s struggled to play his best XI on a regular basis. In fact, many would agree he is probably yet to discover it.

That said, a contingent of players who have been with the boss since their days in League One possibly have not helped matters. Six of them started the impressive 2-0 win over Chelsea, and the likes of Cameron Burgess and Conor Chaplin have arguably outperformed some of their newer team-mates who cost big money in the summer. Surely that makes team selection that little bit more difficult?

In spite of that, you cannot doubt McKenna being the right man to keep squad harmony intact and, if Town edge a few more of the many tight fixtures they have been involved in so far, then do not write them off.

Listen to The Blue Hour with Brenner Woolley every Monday and Matchday Preview with Graeme McLoughlin every Friday, along with live coverage of every Ipswich Town game, home and away, on BBC Radio Suffolk.